Now,therearesomewhoquestionthescaleofourambitions—whosuggestthatoursystemcannottoleratetoomanybigplans.Theirmemoriesareshort.Fortheyhaveforgottenwhatthiscountryhasalreadydone;whatfreemenandwomencanachievewhenimaginationisjoinedtocommonpurpose,andnecessitytocourage.
Whatthecynicsfailtounderstandisthatthegroundhasshiftedbeneaththem—thatthestalepoliticalargumentsthathaveconsumedusforsolongnolongerapply.Thequestionweasktodayisnotwhetherourgovernmentistoobigortoosmall,butwhetheritworks—whetherithelpsfamiliesfindjobsatadecentwage,caretheycanafford,aretirementthatisdignified.Wheretheanswerisyes,weintendtomoveforward.Wheretheanswerisno,programswillend.Andthoseofuswhomanagethepublic』sdollarswillbeheldtoaccount—tospendwisely,reformbadhabitsanddoourbusinessinthelightofday—becauseonlythencanwerestorethevitaltrustbetweenapeopleandtheirgovernment.
Noristhequestionbeforeuswhetherthemarketisaforceforgoodorill.Itspowertogeneratewealthandexpandfreedomisunmatched,butthiscrisishasremindedusthatwithoutawatchfuleye,themarketcanspinoutofcontrol—thenationcannotprosperlongwhenitfavorsonlytheprosperous.ThesuccessofoureconomyhasalwaysdependednotjustonthesizeofourGrossDomesticProduct,butonthereachofourprosperity;ontheabilitytoextendopportunitytoeverywillingheart—notoutofcharity,butbecauseitisthesurestroutetoourcommongood.
Asforourcommondefense,werejectasfalsethechoicebetweenoursafetyandourideals.OurFoundingFathers,facedwithperilsthatwecanscarcelyimagine,draftedachartertoassuretheruleoflawandtherightsofman,acharterexpandedbythebloodofgenerations.Thoseidealsstilllighttheworld,andwewillnotgivethemupforexpedience』ssake.Andsotoalltheotherpeoplesandgovernmentswhoarewatchingtoday,fromthegrandestcapitalstothesmallvillagewheremyfatherwasborn:knowthatAmericaisafriendofeachnationandeveryman,woman,andchildwhoseeksafutureofpeaceanddignity,andwearereadytoleadoncemore.
Recallthatearliergenerationsfaceddownfascismandcommunismnotjustwithmissilesandtanks,butwiththesturdyalliancesandenduringconvictions.Theyunderstoodthatourpoweralonecannotprotectus,nordoesitentitleustodoasweplease.Instead,theyknewthatourpowergrowsthroughitsprudentuse;oursecurityemanatesfromthejustnessofourcause,theforceofourexample,thetemperingqualitiesofhumilityandrestraint.
Wearethekeepersofthislegacy.Guidedbytheseprinciplesoncemore,wecanmeetthosenewthreatsthatdemandevengreatereffort—evengreatercooperationandunderstandingbetweennations.WewillbegintoresponsiblyleaveIraqtoitspeople,andforgeahard-earnedpeaceinAfghanistan.Witholdfriendsandformerfoes,wewillworktirelesslytolessenthenuclearthreat,androllbackthespecterofawarmingplanet.
Forweknowthatourpatchworkheritageisastrength,notaweakness.WeareanationofChristiansandMuslims,JewsandHindus—andnon-believers.Weareshapedbyeverylanguageandculture,drawnfromeveryendofthisEarth;andbecausewehavetastedthebitterswillofcivilwarandsegregation,andemergedfromthatdarkchapterstrongerandmoreunited,wecannothelpbutbelievethattheoldhatredsshallsomedaypass;thatthelinesoftribeshallsoondissolve;thatastheworldgrowssmaller,ourcommonhumanityshallrevealitself;andthatAmericamustplayitsroleinusheringinaneweraofpeace.
TotheMuslimworld,weseekanewwayforward,basedonmutualinterestandmutualrespect.Tothoseleadersaroundtheglobewhoseektosowconflict,orblametheirsociety』sillsontheWest—knowthatyourpeoplewilljudgeyouonwhatyoucanbuild,notwhatyoudestroy.Tothosewhoclingtopowerthroughcorruptionanddeceitandthesilencingofdissent,knowthatyouareonthewrongsideofhistory;butthatwewillextendahandifyouarewillingtounclenchyourfist.
Tothepeopleofpoornations,wepledgetoworkalongsideyoutomakeyourfarmsflourishandletcleanwatersflow;tonourishstarvedbodiesandfeedhungryminds.Andtothosenationslikeoursthatenjoyrelativeplenty,wesaywecannolongeraffordindifferencetothesufferingoutsideourborders;norcanweconsumetheworld』sresourceswithoutregardtoeffect.Fortheworldhaschanged,andwemustchangewithit.